Targeted selection of varieties creates the best conditions
It is a known fact that supermarket basil is viable for more than a week only with optimal care. Herbal plants sown by hand already have a much more robust constitution. Only a few types of basil are suitable for perennial cultivation. Promising candidates are these:
- Green-leaved African basil 'African Green' (Ocimum kilimanscharicum basilicum)
- Garden basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum x basilicum)
- Red-blue African basil 'African Blue' (Ocimum kilimanscharicum basilicum)
- African tree basil (Ocimum gratissium x suave)
also read
- Under what conditions does basil grow?
- Can basil be cultivated for several years?
- Under what circumstances is basil poisonous?
This is how the wintering succeeds
If you cultivate basil in pots in the garden and on the balcony, bring the plant into the house in good time before the first frost. Ideally, the resettlement takes place when the temperatures drop permanently below 10 degrees Celsius. With this care you bring the royal herb through the cold season:
- Set up in a sunny, warm window seat at temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees
- cutting back is not absolutely necessary
- water regularly, preferably from below
- continue to fertilize organically every 4 to 6 weeks
If basil meets these conditions, the plant will produce an aromatic harvest even during winter. If you cut back entire shoots to the next leaf axilla, the royal herb will continue to thrive and develop a branched habit.
Tips & Tricks
The robust African shrub basil survives the winter even in a dark location at temperatures of 10 to 12 degrees Celsius. In this case, the plant stops growing in order to be sparingly watered and not fertilized. If placed lighter and warmer from March, the royal herb will sprout again.
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